Snowbound Memories
by Masked Vendetta
Summary: Although in one place, you may not exist, in another you can become very real. With the right people, or person, and in that right place, Roxas can learn to live again. One Shot Mild Akuroku for Christmas. YAY! XD


It had never snowed in Twilight Town. The thick humid atmosphere of the place simply didn't allow for such a thing as snow. A day had not passed when the town _wasn't_ clogged and smothered by its haze; one which made air conditioning come as standard, water fights occur in October and your homework look even more less appealing as you tried to unfrazzle your brain. And which kept Snow at bay.

Yeah, the temperature in Twilight Town was pretty reasonable due to its seemingly always present sunshine. Your wardrobe could be rationed down to shorts and t-shirts if you didn't mind the occasion chill which came during what would be the 'winter' months, and in summer you knew in advance to order in bulk Sea Salt ice-cream and enough sun cream to sink a medium sized fishing boat. The between seasons, when it was debatable whether you _should_ have brought that hoddie you saw in Market Square, do little to ruffle anyone's feathers. The thermometer either drops a few degrees or gains a couple, and you survive still in your T-shirt and well worn jeans.

What other worlds would call 'Spring' and 'Autumn', and even the ebb in the heat wave commonly known as 'Winter', simply seem not to exist in Twilight Town.

And maybe it was because of this constant, the never changing warmth which he'd basked in for years of his life (or at least thought he had…), that Roxas had never come to appreciate things such as Winter. He'd never shivered from its stern chill, never ended up on his arse to the chorus of his friends laughter after finding some black ice, never gazed upon the enigma that, as a calming white glow, luminous and angelic in the hue of the streetlamps around him, fell from the sky upon cloudy nights.

Because Twilight Town was bathed in sunlight, and until snow has settled it can not survive under such a blaze of gold.

In fact, Roxas hadn't really even _heard_ of snow before he left Twilight Town. Snow was a myth, a legend told only in old wives tales to amuse their children or in dusty fairytale books – not that Roxas…read them, or anything. In the blonde's mind, snow was a fantasy and a fake. It didn't exist.

And then he found out that he didn't, either.

Being told you are a Nobody trips you up a little (ice being present or not). You have friends, people who laugh with you, at you, and at your enemies. They fight for you, stick up for you when you're down and glum, and less than politely knock you off your pedestal when they decide you need to get that ego of yours under wraps. These precious people give you presents on your birthday (_ha! What sort of sick joke is that when you __don't__ exist__…_), they feed you when you're hungry and out of pocket, and without a second thought let you into their homes when you need shelter from the rain…or an enraged mother. They are real; they simply cannot be illusions and still continue do all of those things for you. It's not possible for you're life to be screwed up enough for your friends not to exist.

And that's just the tip off the iceberg. What about you? What about _your_ feelings, those things that make you laugh, make you cry, make you scream and yell when you see red? They're real too, right, just as much as the T-shirt you're wearing and the ice cream you're thanking the gods for this sweaty Sunday afternoon. Or the last Sunday afternoon, which too was spent up on the Clock Tower watching the world go by with ice cream in hand, just as each weekend had for as long as you can remember. You are real; it's as simple as that. You have friends who know you are real, feelings you can understand and memories that just couldn't have been made up. Nobody would ever think otherwise.

This town you gaze upon, the sun forever setting on the horizon and the train you took to school this morning: all real. Everything is real, and you'd be considered insane to think any different.

Until you are told, repeatedly, again and again, over and over, that's it's a all a lie, and that you better come with me because your Somebody has decided to wake up and he wont be complete unless we can rip away your existence and give him back what you stole from him. Do you want the entire world to die, Roxas, do you want all of this to end?

_…All of what? It doesn't exist__ you just said so…__It's all…__fake__…_

As it turned out, anything could happen. Nonexistent places could in fact exist, and therefore could be destroyed as well. And you, and your friends, and your town and your feelings and your ice-cream, were all deleted. Just Like That.

After so much confusion and so much fighting, Roxas almost welcomed the reprieve from the heat of Twilight Town as he was met by the solemn calm of his part of Sora's heart. After that, he's really not sure what happened, but semi existence, faint acuteness to the outside world, and a minor connection with his counterpart seem to fit the bill. He was still there, somewhat, but you couldn't tell.

As a bystander, the boy doesn't remember much now, only flashing images of fights and places and people. (He thinks he did see snow once, covering mountaintops that touched the sky, but he can't be sure…). He also remembers other things, things darker than what Sora has seen. He remembers wearing a black coat sometimes, and wielding two weapons which he knows as 'Keyblades'. However, as a bystander, he doesn't remember much, and what he does all comes in bursts of confusion that can leave him either distraught or wondrous…

He's sure of a few things though: he wasn't supposed to exist, and when he did, it was a lie. All that he knew, all that he believed, all that he felt, saw, read, ate and all manner of_ normal_ things which he thought were real, weren't in fact anything of the sort, and were far far from normal. He'd been thrown into a virtual reality where only he was 'real', and everything else was just a mutated clone of something that may or may not have existed somewhere else. Roxas wasn't sure of everything, but after all he'd been through it was hard to trust in something that was probably just another screwed up illusion…

Then next thing Roxas registers, after a long time of blackness and not being entirely his own (non)existence, is green. Green and _cold_ for that matter, both things which he detests. There are goose pimples on his arms, and he's laying down, for some reason or another, in a very prickly, very uncomfortable place. There are muffled noises too, but gods knows what they are or what they're saying.

_Get up Roxas;__ you're going to freeze!_

So he does, blinking blue eyes and feeling his back crack in three separate places. Around him is a lot of green; trees, bushes, grass as far as he can see – which, he realises, is still pricking through his trousers. The sky is perfectly clear, cloudless and as bright as his eyes, but the sun is low and doesn't seem to be turning up the heat like he's used to. Thinking about it, a T-shirt is really not helping him any, since his breath is turning to mist in front of his noise.

''Its cold…'' Wrapping his arms around himself, Roxas stands shakily, growing re-accustomed to moving his legs.

Now, first thing's first:

_Where the hell was he?!_

He felt like calling to Sora; Sora would know what to do - he always did, Roxas had seen that, Sora always pulled through in the end – but that seemed pointless. Up until however long ago (had it been a week, a month, or only a mere second since he'd claimed back some reality of his own?), Roxas and Sora had been one, there had been no difference, and Roxas had been content on catching mix matched flashes of what Sora saw and nothing else. Sora had been the one in control, he'd been the one moving his legs and waving his arms, Roxas had just flowed with it and watched. But now Roxas - yes, the Nobody who never should have existed, and no matter how much he had lived through, was in fact still nothing but Sora's counterpart, Sora's Nobody - was seeing for himself, was walking for himself again. He was in control, and Sora wasn't going to be able to help him.

So where _was_ Sora? Where were the Keyblade Master and his silver haired best friend who'd just fought some epic battle which Roxas couldn't recall much of? Why was Roxas suddenly standing, freezing his behind off in a grassy place with no recognition of what his life had actually been?

Hell, he still didn't exist, did he? Ha! This must be just another illusion-made reality constructed by a computer and some psycho who wanted to control hearts! Of course he didn't exist, he never had! (Well, he had, of sorts, but he _shouldn't_ have. Anyway, it was complicated…) And so he guessed, yet again, that this place didn't exist either. Made of data and digits and falseness. Gah! Life normally figured out this way for him…

Man, this was confusing, and also an annoyance which needed to be vented some time soon else he knew he'd go insane.

_How about some clothes first, I __can't think__ when my brains beginning to frost…_

So Roxas walked – or stumbled, he couldn't seem to tell the difference in his numb frame of mind – towards the muffled noise which he'd woken too, kicking through the grass and moving passed the trees dotted at intervals through the place. A park, he could presume now, unless his bitter vision of a park was a lie as well...

Blinking up into the light, one so much brighter than the low haze of his old home, Roxas saw the town – and then wondered just how frozen he was, because it was big, massive actually, and he was blind for missing it before. Steering his course towards it he glared into the throng of people walking in amongst the shops and small homely cafes which lined the first street. Everyone there was wrapped up nice and warm - in at least three layers, Roxas noted dully, against just his one – and was sauntering about with shopping bags in one hand and to-go coffees in the other.

Roxas shivered.

Merging with the crowd and gaining only a few stares for his presumably pale blue form – which was to be expected due to his unsuitable attire - Roxas weaved in amongst the swarms, not entirely sure where he was going. He had no munny, after all, so he couldn't buy a jacket or coat or nice hot mug of chocolate, so going into one of the shops was pointless. He had nowhere to go either; he didn't know this place, even by remembering what he'd seen through Sora's eyes he didn't recognise it. The fact that he knew no one here, and Roxas was not one for asking help from strangers, just took the biscuit.

So that left him there, stuck in the middle of the street, gazing around helplessly and being ignored by those harsh cruel people whilst he froze to ice with each passing second.

His teeth were beginning to chatter.

Was there no one here who even thought to help him? He knew he looked like a sympathy case - Hayner had often told him, repeatedly, that his sullen expression gave him a look of a kicked puppy – so why wasn't anyone sympathising?! _Damn, cold…_

It was then, as he ambled over to lean against a wall positioned strategically near the outlet of a heating vent, that he saw the flash of red. It wasn't like when he saw flashes of Sora's vision, because he knew that this was real now, and that the red was something he recognised from before Sora. With a mental jolt he was imagining himself in a black coat again, he was feeling his gaze becoming stern and his words coming out hard and emotionless. Inside he remembered that his heart, at that time in his memories, the ones that were real to him even if they shouldn't or didn't exist, had _shattered_.

_(No one would miss me._

_…I would.)_

''You're shivering, Roxy. How about I warm you up?'' Then there was a weight on his shoulders, wrapping around him an inhuman warmth, as cat green eyes grinned into his own, breaking him from his illusions. The coat was black, long enough to almost sweep the floor, but it wasn't the same one which he remembered. This one was looser, crisscrossed by intricate woven designs and words which could have meant anything. It was worn in places, well loved and adored, covered in excess belts and buckles which had no significance other than to look pretty.

This coat wasn't the same one as before.

* * *

_It's him! It's really, really him!_

_But…h__e won't remember me…_

_Just like last time…_

_I've __been__ forgotten…again…_

_…__Roxas…?_

* * *

''My name is Roxas, _not_ Roxy!'' Blue orbs glowered, smouldering depths just how he remembered them, hard and untameable (At least, they had been at the beginning, the man mentally smirked). Roxas found himself suddenly refusing to snuggle into the warmth of the coat, out of necessity. He'd never give into this red haired, green eyed fire demon. He may be cold, freezing even, but he was above submitting to anyone, let alone this smartarse.

''But 'Roxy' sounds so much cuter!'' The man pouted, green eyes suddenly glassy. Roxas glared, semi-pout upon his lips as he stared blankly at the stranger. And the stranger looked back, eyes fiery and the grip on Roxas's shoulders tightening and loosening as the mind concealed beneath the flurry of hair whirred with hidden thought. Roxas remained unaware of the conclusions being drawn, too busy wondering about his own sudden realisations which had appeared only in the thirty seconds he'd been meeting those catlike eyes.

What exactly was happening to him?

* * *

_Do__es__ he remember?_

_…__Does he?_

_P__lease…P__lease__ say he doe__s._

_Its…It's different now, he has to! Just Has To!_

_He has to __remember__ me!

* * *

_

THWAK!

''Don't call me cute!!'' The red head grinned, ignoring the throbbing in his temple, and tugged the coat tighter around Roxas. He could live without; after all, fire ran through his blood. The blonde growled again, trying to bat away the hands holding him still. ''Axel, get off me!''

* * *

_He remembers!

* * *

_

''Roxy!'' With that cry Axel all but threw himself at the blonde, arms clinging around the others smaller frame and refusing to let go as he squeezed. ''You remember me!!'' Roxas gasped, one; due to the suddenly closeness – _not_ the reason why his cheeks were now red, he'll have you know – two; due to the extra warmth suddenly flooding over him from the pyro's natural heat – which _was_ why his cheeks were flushed; it was the heat, _nothing_ else… - and thirdly due to the fact that his ribs were breaking… For a scrawny guy, Axel was strong!

''Ax…Axel, of course I do! Now…get off!'' It took a few moments – and a few squirms, growls and kicks to the shins – before the redhead did back off, and even then his hands were still gripping Roxas's arms as if he'd vanish otherwise.

''You sure you remember me?'' The man spoke, eyes questioning and uncharacteristically unsure. Roxas wondered where the mans confidence had gone. Axel wasn't Axel without his omnipresent jerk like confidence and snide remarks. Then again, Roxas was also trying to figure out why he was suddenly real again, and where the hell he was, so it can be said that the blonde was ultimately confused about everything.

''…Why wouldn't I?'' Of course this was Axel, Roxas assured himself of the blatantly obvious. This was the very same man who had stalked him when he'd worn his own black coat and ruled a land made of skyscrapers and black creatures of darkness. The very same man who'd caused all the trouble amongst the ranks and had, on occasion, made Roxas laugh. The very same pyromaniac that had burned down half the Castle Library in – Roxas tried to remember the name – The World That Never Was. Axel was the one who'd always looked out for him, who'd always got him into trouble and was the only one who had made him smile when he'd been confused and angry (which he remembered being often in that place, if his limited, but gaining, memory had anything to say).

It all seemed to fit a bit better now though. The last flash of sporadic thought had bridged memories that before were senseless… Roxas was beginning to understand again.

''Because you…'' Axel paused, then shook his head and grinned. ''Ok, let's test this. What's my favourite colour?''

''Red, but that's obvious.'' Axel pulled a face, looking around in thought.

''Fine then…food?''

''Pizza…with enough toppings to classify as a mountain.'' Roxas remembered ordering one of those, once or twice, and having the Superior rave at them both afterwards. Namely because Pizza did not belong in The World That Never Was, apparently, just as it didn't belong splattered all over the ceiling of the Castles dinning room, or smeared across the Superiors face as he'd walked under one particularly large splodge which happened to fall at exactly the wrong moment... ''But that's obvious as well.''

''Huh? How?'' Confusion, mild outrage, surely this was the Axel which Roxas shared a past with, if the boy remembered those expressions well.

''You look like a layabout.'' The fake pained expression that followed was obvious as well, and predictable - Axel may as well be an actor. _Then again, in this place, what's to say he's not?_

''Gee, Roxy, that hurt.'' A pause, but only a slight one, wherein a humongous, overly extreme grin spread across Axels thin lips. ''Kiss it better?''

''No!'' Pushing away from the wall and his capturer, Roxas dragged the coat further around his body and looked out into the crowd again. ''Where is this place?'' Axel grinned again, well aware of the change of subject.

''It's called 'New Dawn', and looks soo much better in the morning at around 5:30.'' The blonde scoffed.

''I wonder how you know; I've never seen you up any earlier than 9…on a good day.'' Axel laughed. Maybe he was wrong to be doubtful, after all? Stupid Zexion and his screwed up theories of repetition.

''Well, work calls quite early in the morning for me now. And, as unbelievable as it may be, my Superior is worse then my old one.'' Roxas scoffed, giving Axel a blank look.

''That's not possible.''

''I'll show you him, one day. You'll be_ very_ surprised.''

''What's to say I'm staying?'' Axel's grin instantly faltered.

''Bu--You've got to!'' Of this Axel was sure. Hell, he'd never been more sure of anything in any of his lives (all three of them now: Ordinal, Nobody and New Beginning existence). If it came to it, Axel had concluded, he'd make Roxas stay. He'd conquered the blonde once before, after all, so there was nothing stopping him! He wasn't being forgotten and left alone again. Never again. It hurt, being forgotten, in places where even a Nobody could hold some resemblance to feeling.

Better give a better reason that his somewhat skewed feelings though, mustn't he? Damn had being real again given him problems in the area of emotions; not having them had been so much easier.

''You have no where else to go, Roxy, none of us did!''

''Us?'' Roxas paused, frowning. What did the pyro mean by 'us'? ''The rest of the Organisation?''

''Bingo!'' Axel pounced upon the blonde again, wrapping a leisurely arm around his shoulders and chuckling when Roxas looked the other way. ''So you do remember them then?''

''I remember Zexion being a Nerdy Emo obsessed with books, Dymex never stopping his idiotic singing, and Larxene liking target practise on anything shiny…or anything breakable…or moving…'' Axel's laughter put a halt to anything else which the blond was going to say, along with the second bone crushing hug he enveloped his companion with. Roxas's growl was muffled by the red heads hair.

''See! You do remember, Roxy! I'm just-''

''I never said I didn't…''

''-py, ecstatic even, that you do! 'Cause-''

''Axel…''

''-Waiting, ya know, waiting and waiting. Everyone else came, but-''

''Axel!''

''-Not you, and I was worried. They all took a while to remember too, but---OW! Holy SHIT!'' Content that his work was done, Roxas allowed the redheaded pyro to dance away from him on one leg, tenderly cradling the other foot in his hands as best he could whilst trying to restrain his curses. In the street, and angry mother glared and covered her child's ears, not accepted the pyro's apologetic grin and quick wave as she hurried away.

''Rox!'' _Quite done with the dramatics__, are we?_ ''What was that for?''

''You were gabbling.'' Axel blinked, eyebrows raised into his hairline.

''I…was…?''

''As well as squeezing the life of out me, yes.''

''Oh…sorry Roxy.'' It took all of a second for that sullen look to disappear, and for his trademark grin to be back in place. From Axel, that was a very dangerous look. ''Want me to…kiss it better?''

''Axel!!''

* * *

It was decided (namely by Roxas who was still rather cold even with the pyros jacket firmly wrapped around him) that the pair should find somewhere suitable to talk. There was a lot to discuss, after all. Roxas needed to know where exactly he was, and why, for that matter, as well as what exactly Axel was doing here with the rest of the Organisation, all of which Sora had…disbanded. Also trying to figure out exactly what he remembered would be a bonus, as well as what was fake and what was real (if anything was…).

Axel's apartment was therefore the _obvious_ place to go.

Except, as it turned out, it wasn't the most _suitable_ place they could have picked.

''Just look out for pizza, I woke up this morning with some pepperoni and cheese plastered to my left cheek…wasn't pleasant.'' Roxas restrained his grimace and continued to wade his way through the muck hiding Axel's carpet from view. The blonde had to dodge various take away bags, boxes and metallic containers to get into the sitting room, and then even more mixed with the recipe (for disaster) of CDs, stray clothes and entities he didn't want to know the identity of, before he could reach somewhere stable to rest and recover from his efforts.

''So you want me to start from the beginning?'' Axel said once they'd moved enough wreckage off the sofa to sit side by side before the TV. Roxas nodded briefly.

''It would be helpful.''

''Well then, where do I begin!?'' Throwing his hands up into the air for effect the Flurry of Dancing Flames gave a big grin up to his cracking ceiling.

''How about when you died…?'' Because Roxas remembered that, and remembered his heart – the one then joint with Sora's – aching uncontrollably. Sora had felt it too, Roxas realised, but he hadn't cared. Because that was Axel his only…friend – no, just more of an associate, Roxas assured himself – fading away into nothingness. And saying such things…

Axels grin was gone, and his hands were now placed back into his lap as a moment of dull calm overtook the otherwise wild room. The elder sighed.

''That was for you, you know…'' Roxas nodded slightly.

''Yeah…I know.'' Because he remembered his eyes, those bright green eyes, and they told him everything. Axel let the silence stretch.

''I'm glad for that at least…what's the point dying for nothing, eh?'' The laugh that followed was fake, and both knew it all too well. Eventually, when the dull buzz of the muted TV – god, was that hideous mouse like creature running around on screen the King?! – became an annoyance, Axel sighed and grinned again.

''Ha! I still haven't answered your question. Sorry Rox!'' Leaning back on his well worn sofa, he snuggled into the cushions whilst placing his hands leisurely behind his head. He looked at home here, Roxas thought; contented like a well fed cat and totally at ease with himself a foot deep in last weeks dinner. Axel had really never looked any different, in honesty; the Axel Roxas remembered (now in steadily growing blasts of images and sounds and feelings) had always walked around like he owned the world, but now he looked…more peaceful.

Still a jerk, but peaceful.

''Basically, I…died, and didn't really expect to come back as anything, ya know? Not existing and all that. But then, I'm not quite sure when, I was suddenly…alive again.'' He looked across at Roxas, who still seemed to be observing his new surroundings, clad in a borrowed sweatshirt, scarf and gloves and the same coat from earlier – which the boy had been forced into, and which Axel had insisted he keep as a 'welcome to life again' gift – lost in his own thoughts.

''It seems this is the place after 'death' for us – not sure about the normal people who are here though. Everyone else is here as well, maybe not as you remember them but here.'' Axel grinned to himself. ''You know I said about my Boss being really strict earlier, even more so than Xemnas used to be?'' Roxas nodded, making a noise in the back of his throat to show that he was at least alive. ''That's because he _is_ Zemnas, just the beating he took from your little buddy Sora seems to have rid him of his powers and replaced them all with uber-prissy-bitch-mode. Oh, and he's seriously not a morning person, which sucks, cos we all have to be up by five…''

''But I digress.'' The man sent a smile at his friend, who snorted in return, a clear indication to get on with it before something very painful was jammed somewhere it shouldn't be. ''Ok, ok! Basically, all thirteen of us have one day woken up in this town in someplace or another – Saix ended up naked in a pond, it was hilarious. Of course, we've all been stunned for a while and suffering from sever memory loss – some more so that others - but then we've always been found by another member to be given a helping hand.'' The grin that flashed then was a blatant call for thanks, but none came. Undeterred, Axel continued.

''Eventually, after a couple of hours I guess, all our memories have regained fully – I'm presuming you're having the weird flashy things as well.'' _Yeah, and you're the __one__ who triggered them all._ Roxas thought gloomily, reaching up to rub at the bridge of his noise. All of this had given him a headache. Eyeing him sceptically, Axel frowned in concern. ''Anything else?''

''What…is this place?''

''New Dawn! I already told you Roxy.'' And, being Axel: ''Awww, is your memory really that bad?''

''Stop ruffling my hair, Axel.''

''Ok ok, just stop growling.'' Hands raised the man backed away to the edge of the sofa again. _If I __make myself appear small a__n__d__valuable__, he __won't__ bite._ ''It's a new beginning for us Roxas, that's all. It's normal here – and boring, you have no idea how boring - there aren't any Heartless or anything, no Keyblade Master or loyal pets to kick the arses of. We don't seem to have any…abilities anymore though – I miss my chakram'' Here Axel pouted, actually stuck out his bottom lip and sulked ''but I guess that's ok. Everything's normal again.'' His voice dropped slightly, a quiet lull over the buzzing of the TV. ''Ya know, like before…when you were in Twilight Town…''

Roxas nodded, looking up numbly again.

_Twilight Town wasn't normal…_

''So…after all this, all this fighting and not knowing where to turn…I have to start over again?''

He was met by silence, something he wasn't expecting. Wasn't Axel meant to spout a mocking array of annoyance to drive Roxas even crazier that he already was? Like he always did, in a way which made Roxas not know whether to slap the maniac or, god forbid, laugh at the stupidity. Wasn't Axel, being Axel, meant to cheer Roxas up, like he always had? Still…the silence stretched…

''I know somewhere that does Sea Salt Ice-cream…''

And Roxas smiled, because maybe having a new start wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

It was cloudy when they eventually ventured back outside. The darkness in the sky brought a new chill to the air, but wrapped up comfortably – and maybe even a little too comfortably for his liking – in Axel's borrowed jumper and coat, Roxas no longer felt the cold. Axel's presence glowed from beside him as he led the way, and the red heads grin was all too bright for such a gloomy evening. Roxas didn't want to ask, and therefore refused to let the niggling feeling in the pit of his stomach make him do so.

It was strange how suddenly everything seemed fine again. As if he'd never been told he was a Nobody, as if he belonged, and he'd wake up after this Nightmare and look out onto Twilight Town again… Hayner, Pence, Olette…he missed them. Maybe one day he could…?

''What's up Roxy, you look even more emo bitch then normal.'' _Emo__…__bitch…?_

''Axel!''

''Yes?'' The red head raised a mocking eyebrow, to which Roxas' only reply was to turn away and scoff quietly to himself.

''How long until we get there?''

''I'd say ten minutes, but that's not accounting for your short legs.'' Roxas _glared_. Axel smiled – you know, one of those winning smiles that could melt fire and make the sun crave for sunglasses – and was sure to note the way Roxas face twitched in what the blonde would like to be known as annoyance. Axel had always thought different; his smile could melt even Roxas' cold heart, in his own overly humble opinion. ''Hey, if it came to it, I could carry you!''

''No! Definitely not!''

''Awwww, why not Rox? It's not as if it matters any. And then we'd get there quicker, and I could buy you some of that nice, lovely ic-''

''Why are you acting like this?!'' Axel actually blinked, mouth half agape, and took a full step forward before he figured out Roxas had stopped in his tracks.

''Huh?''

''You know what I mean, Axel.'' Roxas fists were clenched, his head bowed and hair shadowing his eyes. His shoulders were quivering, but Axel wasn't quite sure why. ''Why are you acting as if nothings happened? As if we haven't _died_ and just woken up in some random park brand new and without an ounce of darkness anywhere nearby. Or doesn't it bother you that you're suddenly here in this place which you know nothing about, with no powers and no idea of why or what or where?!'' The blonde paused for breath, meeting Axel's confused gaze with his own steely one – which for the record were watering because of the cold.

''Because it _does_ bother me, Axel.'' Still that same monotone voice which could very well mean that he didn't care at all. Dull, lifeless, broken and left behind… ''Life's never been this easy, and it never will be, so I'm waiting for the catch. Where is it, Axel, you've been her longer than me, why am I getting off so easily? Where is this place and what is it? Tell me, Axel, because I know you know. You always know...''

Axel blinked.

''Roxy…''

''My name is Roxas!'' Somewhere in his tirade, the blonde had lost his last will, because tears were beginning to leak out of his eyes by then. Axel wasn't quite sure why - because Roxas was stronger than this, he was always the one to bite his tongue as his wounds were submitted to TCP hell, always the one to stomach his insults behind the Superiors back and curse and mutter obscenities instead of yelling for Larxene to stop twisting his arm because it was broken, damnit! – and he didn't know whether he wanted to know, either.

They'd known each other a comparatively little time, but during that time they'd become….extremely close (at least, Axel would gladly die for Roxas - he had once, hadn't he? - and would instantly get on his knees and beg for the feeling to be mutual if needs be). In the short time the pair had been separated, and when Axel had been sent after him, the red head knew that Roxas had been through hell. It was bad enough being a Nobody to begin with; to live being constantly reminded that you had no feelings, and didn't even have one of life's necessities of a heart, but they'd lived with it. However, then being given false hope as well, a real life with friends and pets and memories which Axel could never give when within the Organisation, was a little too harsh a world for Axel to live in. He'd thought Roxas could have dealt with it, but maybe he was wrong?

And so, in New Dawn, once Axel had woken up to find no Roxas and had waited and waited in hope of the Key of Destiny's arrival, he had planned to make up for all the things he hadn't done in The World That Never Was. In this place Axel would give Roxas cute things (Because doubtless of the blonde cold stares and growls, he did appreciate cuddles and fluffy stuff. Axel had blackmailed it out of him one time during a boredom game of dares, and had refused to forget ever since). In this place Axel would show Roxas what it was like to feel, and show him things he'd never seen before.

So, as Roxas drew in breath to control the tears flowing down his cheeks against his will, and raised his arm to use the sleeve of his borrowed coat as a tissue, Axel stepped forward again. Up close his warmth was even more prominent, and Roxas was surprised that the man hadn't been diagnosed with a constant fever. His fingers felt nice against his cold cheeks, though, Roxas would admit that.

''It's Winter, Rox. Don't cry, you'll freeze your eyes open.'' The blonde nodded numbly, and accepted the gentle hug which the pyro then gave him. He was used to the man doing things like this; the red head enjoyed pampering things he liked, apparently. Roxas was at the top of that list, from passed knowledge, and right now didn't have the energy to protest like he once may have done.

''…If it's Winter, why on earth are we going for ice-cream?'' The blonde mumbled numbly against the redheads shoulder. He physically felt Axel stiffen in confusion.

''You know, I never thought about that.'' He was grinning, Roxas knew he was grinning. ''Just thought we could go back to the old days, ya know! Sitting up on that Clock Tower eating ice cream!'' Because that's all that Axel wanted, after all, for things to be normal again, and for Roxas to be there beside him instead of Axel to be chasing him as Sora ran to yet another world to save its sorry existence. ''I still wont forgive you for pushing me off, you realise.'' Roxas received a obligatory squeeze, which was good, 'cause it muffled his short snort of laughter.

The pyro had been trying to assault him again, he remembered. He wasn't entirely sure why, but lots of innuendos had been used and Roxas had had a bad day anyway. So, sitting in his long black coat, ice cream courtesy of one certain annoying red head in one hand and Keyblade suddenly in the other, Roxas had thumped Axel upside the head with the blunt end and sent him flying forward. Forward, of course, meant a hundred foot plummet to the cobbled floor below, which Axel wasn't too pleased about, and had shown so by screaming obscenities rather girlishly for a whole five seconds before gaining his sense – or what little of it he had – and darknessing his arse out of there.

It was one of the times Roxas had actually laughed (so what if he had a twisted sense of humour, give him a break).

''Mah, come on, we better get going.'' Axel shook him gently, which was strange when coming from such a brash character. Shouldn't he be whacking him around the head to snap him out? Maybe calling him a pansy? Or something… ''Those ice creams are melting without us!'' Roxas smiled slightly, a forced smile, but one never the less.

''Ice cream in winter. …It's just like us.'' Axel raised an eyebrow, the both when he couldn't figure it out.

''Eh? How so?''

''It's not as if we've ever been normal, Axel.'' Axel simply laughed, before offering his hand to lead the way.

Roxas missed home, he really did. He missed his normal life, the one where he went to school, left assignments to the last minute and beat up Seifer and his gang on a regular basis. But before that, his life in Darkness, he missed that too. The times with Axel which he'd shared before Hayner and Pence and Olette were so much easier to recall now, and they didn't confuse him as much. Sure, he still hated the fact that his whole life had been a lie, and that it hadn't even been his own life to begin with - he was a mistake, something that shouldn't have happened – but he could get over it. Well…he could perhaps forget it for now…

New Dawn wasn't that much different to Twilight Town, actually. There was no Clock Tower, but there were tall buildings which may as well be one, though they did scarily resemble the silhouettes which had haunted him in The World That Never Was. And Roxas hadn't seen them yet, but he knew he had friends here – well, he guessed the Organisation could be considered friends, some what – and he had Axel too, which had to count for something (just imagining the pyros face if he said otherwise made Roxas want to smile).

If anything, Roxas missed Axel, more than he had realised before. As the memories became clearer throughout the day, he realised just how much he had forgotten about the pyro red head.

They'd been best friends, once, hadn't they?

With a smile, one small enough to go amiss as it was buried into his scarf (_Axel's_ scarf), the boy took up the offer.

They ended up back in the part of town which Roxas had woken – was that the word? Wouldn't ''been reborn'' also fit? - in earlier, in the very same park. The clouds were beginning to move restlessly above them by then, but neither noticed as they sat side by side on a empty bench, licking absentmindedly at their ice cream as their arses froze against the wood.

''I can't believe they make this here.'' Because Roxas hadn't had any of this stuff in a while, and his cravings were getting intolerable. He was allowed to get excited over it.

''Ha! Me neither! I almost hugged Demyx when he told me he found some.'' Roxas laughed lightly, remembering times when Axel had launched himself at the sitarist in the White Castle shrouded by Black Darkness. The pair had been…somewhat strange accomplices, but had gotten on none the less. Being natural opposites, you would think otherwise, but maybe that was exactly why they got on so well. If Axel burnt say a table, or a couple hundred Dusks, or the Environmental section of the Library, Demyx was always there to put out the flames and cover for the pryo when the Superior caught the scent of burning books. And Axel was always quite content to return the favour by playing match maker as the duo helped to clear up said Library…which Zexion happened to practically sleep in. Fairs fair, and so Axel and Demyx were good ol' buddies.

''How is he?''

''Brilliant, but that's not surprising. Demyx is flexible, he settled right in here.'' Axel grinned, cat eyes sparkling. ''He's in a band, as you may of guessed. You should go see him one day, he'll be ecstatic.'' Roxas nodded.

''And what about you?''

''Blondie gets free beer when he plays, I'll be there too!'' Roxas rolled his eyes, refraining from jamming the ice-cream in Axel's mouth further down his throat.

''Axel!'' The grin flashed in his direction was far from sheepish.

''Mah, me? Job wise you mean?'' There was a mumbled response. ''Well, I'm a big shot now, more so than in that stupid Organisation. I'm an actor! And you've got to come see me perform when I get my next gig.'' Roxas just sucked contently on his ice-cream.

''Maybe…''

''Roooxyyyy!''

''Ok…fine.'' Axel grinned again, and swallowed the last of his ice-cream before looking up to the sky. The pair sat like that, utterly contented, for what could have been an hour or a half, not really bothered with talking any more. This was how it was meant to be, and always had been, between them. They could just bask in their own company – and maybe Axels warmth if needs be – for endless hours whilst waiting for a certain target to appear, and neither felt the need to ask any questions. They seemed to instantly know everything that they needed to know about each other, so what was the point in talking?

''Hey, Roxas…?''

Finishing his ice cream a while after Axel (who had a habit of eating quickly, especially when the food was frozen as it often melted down his throat), Roxas looked up at the red head, making a mumbled noise at the back of his throat for him to continue.

''In Twilight Town…you never had Winter, did you?'' The blonde shook his head, remembering the way he'd woken up only a few hours prior: in a T-shirt and thin pair of trousers. ''So you…'' Axel grinned, reaching across and ruffling the boy hair. ''Just look up, will ya?''

So Roxas did – after glaring and batting the offending hand away. The grey clouds were suddenly not so grey anymore. From them a white glow, luminous and angelic in the hue of the streetlamps around him, fell. Soft and soundless, it glided to the ground like wedding confetti, resting against the green that spread before him and ever so slowly coated it with frost. The air brought a chill to his bones, and so he shivered against his will. Never the less, once dull blue orbs were alight with mirth.

Because snow, to Roxas had always been a fairytale told only in rustic old books, forgotten at the back of libraries and covered with dust. Snow didn't exist in such a humid place as Twilight Town, but in…New Dawn?

In this place snow could flourish – at least it seemed that way as the sky turned white and Roxas rose from his seat to catch the first flurry of a icy gale – and Nobodies could actual exist. Maybe illusions could also be real here, where they couldn't be before?

Maybe here, with Axel like he'd once been, Roxas could actually live?

* * *

I don't like it – I never like any of my writings. And I know it's probably/most likely awful, because I've only proof read it once or twice, and it's also written spontaneously and on a whim, but whatever. I tried. I was pushed for time too, which didn't help.

As of the length…hell, I can never write short things, even with one shots X3.

Anyway, a couple of days ago I suddenly had the urge to write something, and I had inspiration in the form of a Cosplay picture I found on DA with Axel and Roxas in the snow, so HAD to write some Akuroku (my first ever, by the way; you soo have to be told that so you can shoot me XD). Turns out it's not much of an Akuroku, but there ya go.

le whistle Merry Christmas!


End file.
